Visit of the Queen of Sheba

1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart. 2Solomon [a]answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not [b]explain to her. 3When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, 4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and [c]his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was breathless. 5Then she said to the king, “It was a true [d]story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6But I did not believe their [e]stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was reported to me. You have surpassed the report that I heard. 7How [f]blessed are your men, how [g]blessed are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 8Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them, to carry out justice and righteousness.” 9Then she gave the king [h]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of balsam oil and precious stones; there had never been balsam oil like that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

10The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11From the algum trees the king made steps to the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nothing like them was seen before in the land of Judah.

12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she requested, besides gifts equal to what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power

13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [i]666 talents of gold, 14besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [j]using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16He made three hundred shields of beaten gold, [k]using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [l]arms [m]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [n]arms. 19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered [o]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 23And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

25Now Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26He was ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [p]lowland. 28And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [q]records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [r]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

Death of Solomon